2016 Honda Civic: You Can Have Fun With It Around Turns

by Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor on May 10, 2016

The best Honda Civics through the years have always had a reputation for being entertaining to drive despite the car's transportation-for-the-masses mission. Pleasingly, this reputation holds true for the redesigned 2016 Honda Civic.

I drove our long-term Civic along a deserted stretch of curvy backroad recently and came away impressed. It feels light and eager to charge around turns. There's some personality here, as if the car is encouraging you to have some fun. You can zip around corners and still feel like you have complete control of the car. Credit goes to the quick steering and the nicely tuned suspension that keeps the car taut and stable as you transition from one turn to the next.

The steering wheel itself is pleasing to grip, and I also like the view through the windshield. The front roof pillars (A-pillars) are pretty thin and unobtrusive, while the front edge of the car is easy to ascertain. It's a wide view that gives you extra confidence in placing the car on the road.

The mandatory CVT in our Touring model is a bit of letdown in this driving scenario, as there's no option to take full control in the way you could with a manual transmission or even an regular automatic with manual gear selection. The best the Civic's CVT offers is an "S" and "L" mode; unlike some other CVTs, it does not include a simulated manual mode.

Even so, I'd say the Civic is near the top of the list as a driver's car among small, affordable sedans.